Heat Keeping Loughery?

Notebook

June 2, 1994

MIAMI HEAT coach Kevin Loughery's wait to be rehired appears to be nearing an end. Loughery, whose 3-year contract expires July 14, has been in closed-door meetings with Heat co-partners Lewis Schaffel and Billy Cunningham on-and-off since Miami's season ended with its first-round playoff loss to Atlanta. Loughery's Atlanta-based agent, Lonnie Cooper, met with Miami officials for an eight-hour meeting Tuesday and a contract has reportedly been tended to the 19-year coach. The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reported Wednesday that he is believed to be seeking a multi-year deal worth more than $500,000 per season.

ROCKETS WANT KNICKS

THE HOUSTON Rockets are off to the beach to rest, relax and root for the New York Knicks. That's right, the Rockets really do care who they play in The NBA Finals. They want the Knicks. ''Everybody might say it doesn't matter, but in the back of our minds we all want to play the Knicks,'' Vernon Maxwell said. Said Kenny Smith: ''I prefer the Knicks. I'm from New York, I have friends and family there and lot of friends on the Knicks, and I've always been a Knicks fan. So I'm rooting for them.''